A family is grappling with the potential cost of over £40,000 to get a seriously ill man home from Cyprus for medical treatment in the UK. Ian Wright, 47, from Cramlington in Northumberland, fell seriously ill while watching a Newcastle match with friends during a holiday in Tala, near Paphos.
Originally thinking it was food poisoning, Sarah Wright witnessed her husband’s condition quickly decline, leading to a diagnosis of acute pancreatitis with necrosis after admission to a local clinic. Since May 30, Ian has been receiving critical care, including dialysis and multi-organ support, at Nicosia General Hospital.
His mother, Monica Muckle, 67, rushed to Cyprus and has been by his side since May 22, desperate to bring him back home. The private jet required for Ian’s safe return, staffed by a medical team, comes with a quote of £40,995. For our free daily briefing on the biggest issues facing the nation, sign up to the Wales Matters newsletter here
With funds depleting as they extend their stay in Cyprus, Monica shared with Chronicle Live her heartache at the prospect of leaving Ian behind. She said: “We are absolutely heartbroken because if we have to go home on Monday, he’s here on his own.
Ian and Sarah, who hold an annual travel insurance policy, faced a setback when Ian’s failure to disclose his medical consultations for high blood pressure and high uric acid in the UK led AXA, their travel company, to refuse the payout.
Their plight prompted Sarah’s friend and colleague, Lucy Wareing, to initiate a GoFundMe campaign which has successfully gathered nearly £9,000. Initially aimed at covering the family’s costs in Cyprus, the focus shifted to conserving funds for Ian’s repatriation once the gravity of his situation became apparent.
Monica, speaking on behalf of the family, said: “We’re trying to keep hold of money we have got from the fund.
“We want him home and we don’t want to be spending money that’s going to go towards helping him to get home.”
The family is exploring the possibility of utilising Ian’s workplace pension to help with repatriation expenses, although they are uncertain about the timeframe for accessing these funds. Monica has been tirelessly working into the early hours to reach out to charities, despite most offering assistance primarily to families of deceased individuals abroad.
In addition to their own efforts, the family is receiving support from the British Consulate in Cyprus, which is aiding with language barriers and providing updates from the hospital.
Reflecting on the ordeal, Monica said: “As you get older, you realise how important it is to put things like that on the travel insurance. We’re not holding out any hope where that is concerned.
“We’re not trying to scrounge, that’s why we’re looking into the pensions because if we can get that, maybe it won’t be enough for all of it, but it could cover a fair proportion and maybe we can crack on getting family and friends to help us a bit more.
“We don’t want to beg for money, we want to be able to get the money through whatever ways we can. We’re still having to take it a day at a time, but we just want him home.”
